What I've Been Told
by AnotherHopelessFangirl
Summary: Stork's been told a lot of things by others as they try to bring him down. One day, he stops being the victim. Rated for abuse/violence/swearing.


Terra Merbia had its own unique flora and fauna, other than the Merbs, the species the Terra was named for. The land was mostly avoided by the other people of Atmos, and for good reason. A human, Wallop, even an Aquanosian who dared to enter the Terra without at least a native tour guide were instantly sealing their fate, in the most horrid, gruesome, suffering way possible. Merbia had more obituaries yearly-or even daily-than any other Terra on Atmos. But it wasn't the wildlife Stork feared. It wasn't the spider that with one bite could turn your insides to soup. It wasn't the plants that could _move _from place to place, snapping up and devouring an innocent without chewing. Wildlife you could escape, avoid. Hell, Merbs knew escape plans in their sleep. What happened in his very own home-or what he used to call a home-made everything else on his Terra nearly harmless, innocent. A godsend.

THUD. Stork's small body introduced itself to a new part of the wall. He cried out in pain, as he had learned that seemed to stop the onslaught sooner. Because his body almost automatically seemed to and because it was a small, sad hope of warding off some of the blows, he curled up into a small ball, knees to his chin, hands to his head. It took all he had with the blinding pain and the crippling fear to look up at his much larger, muscled opponent that framed a shadow over his broken body.

"Please!" he begged. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break it, honest!" His words seemed to fall on deaf ears, or if anything, make the older Merb angrier. The poor soul was learning the hard way that begging and trying to reason with others only seemed to worsen the situation.

"YOU'RE LYING TO ME, BOY!" The strike to his face was unexpected, agonizing, even when he had braced himself for it. Stork's head snapped sideways, sending a cracking sound through his neck from the sharp movement and causing his face to slam against the door of the oven. Not far from the scene, a female Merb sat on the living room couch. She was drinking from a cup, looking _bored, _if anything, as she watched. She didn't jump in to help...but then again, she never had and at this point, Stork didn't expect her to.

"YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT!" the older Merb snapped. Stork's gaze was to the floor. All he could do was watch the blood, dripping in small puddles on the floor. So much blood...so, so much...

"YOU'RE ALWAYS SCREWING UP!" the older Merb continued to rant. "YOU-LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Another strike, this time forcing Stork's head up. "YOU'RE ALWAYS RUINING SHIT! You're a LIAR, a SCREW UP, and now you're being IGNORANT, too?" Stork laid his ears as far back as they would go. His head was reeling, and he shuddered from more than just fear alone.

"GET UP!" The older Merb grabbed him, of course, not willing to wait for the time for Stork to stand on his own. He lifted him by the back of his neck, nails digging into the skin. Stork was dragged, and the Merb who held him didn't even care if he was slammed into things along the way. The older Merb looked to the female sitting on the couch.

"Get that belt!" he snarled. With a pleased grin, the female Merb took it from the shelf and handed it over. Stork widened his eyes, and his entire body went rigid.

"No-NO! I won't do it again! Just not the belt! Anything but that!" The belt, sharp, glimmering buckle first, met its mark and bit into the skin. Stork instantly shrieked and pulled his back away from the weapon of choice, almost bending over backwards from the searing aftermath. He shrieked and screamed again and again as the belt made red, bloody ribbons into his already battered body. Similar, grey lines shone lightly amongst the more recent injuries.

"You're WORTHLESS! You're SPINELESS! You don't deserve to even LIVE!" The belt tore through Stork over and over for emphasis. Stork slowly sank to the ground. The smell of blood, sweat, leather and iron were dominating, suffocating...

"You're the most pathetic piece of existence the world has ever seen. Your parents were lucky to have died to get away from you, if you weren't the reason they died yourself!" Stork was curled up on the floor now; his face was completely blank of emotion. His eyes were glazed over, never blinking, but shutting closed. He didn't move except for the labored rising and falling of his chest. Even when the contents of the female Merb's drink was spilled on him and scalded his skin red, he never so much as flinched. Eventually, his abusers left him lying there; whether he was dead or alive didn't mean much to them.

When he was sure he would be safe, Stork lifted his ears again from where they were lying half-mast against his skull. Minutes ticked by as he slowly, painfully twisted himself into a position that would get him across the room, at the very least, and slid away to his bed to nurse his wounds. This wasn't the first time he had put makeshift bandages to good use, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. As Stork dragged himself onto his mattress on the floor and began to wind gauze around his injuries, a tiny little flicker of a flame in his mind began to grow.

_SEVERAL YEARS LATER..._

It was a level 4 out of 5 on the Rictor Scale of Stork. He knew what he was doing; he was fully aware of it, and hadn't quite yet slipped into a full insanity. The Raptor minions had been disposed of. They were no longer trouble and in the way of his true goal. The fighting had tired him, but Stork wasn't about to give up yet. No, not when he had gotten this far. He was so close. And when he swung into the doorway of Repton's throne, he dispensed no formalities or casual chat. He let the bastard know what he came there for.

"Time for _payback!_" His ship had been destroyed by Repton, and that was something he could _not _forgive. The Raptor's face melted from fear to puzzlement. His head cocked to one side like a confused dog, and he made an inquisitive noise before he recognized the Merb's face, under the camouflage makeup and bandana.

"YOU?" A hand slapped to his face, and he burst into gales of laughter. Stork barely gave any hint of surprise to the reaction, and his face instantly darkened considerably worse than before. His lips curled back from his teeth, and hunched forward, he began to stalk up to the Raptor.

"I-I was actually _worried!_" Repton exclaimed, grinning and rolling his eyes heavenward at what had seemed like a childish fear. It was then that his body suddenly lurched backwards, the smile taken right off his face and exchanged for a wince as a green fist retracted from his cheek and was followed by a volley of punches, one after the other. Stork's face was downright _enraged, _and he was like a machine as he pounded away. The once tiny little flame, contained for so many years, had exploded into an all-out inferno, and _nothing _was going to put it out except itself. Repton's head snapped back and forth as Stork's fists took turns beating either side of his face. The Raptor barely even had time to make a sound of distress before he was hit again. This lasted for a few moments, until Repton was able to come to his senses enough to grab a hold of one of the fists that were assaulting his face.

"YOU LITTLE-" His tail swung up and lashed across Stork's face. It was now the Merb's turn to wince as the blow left a red, burning streak across his face. Before he could retaliate, a sharp blow to his chest sent him tumbling backwards with the breath knocked out of his lungs.

"YOU?" Repton repeated, only now his voice was filled with rage. "I was worried...over the _Storm Hawks' _little TOAD?" Stork was already getting up, glaring daggers at his enemy. He could barely contain himself to keep from shaking in rage. Repton easily unsheathed his blade and, gripping the handle, strode over and held it under the Merb's throat.

"You came here to _fight? _Not a chance." Repton's grin was malacious. "You can't fight _me_, and you never will. I should just kill you right now. At the very least...you saved me the trouble of tracking you down." There was a small buzzing sound as his weapon was activated. "I get the satisfaction...and it's not _you _who's getting the payback." Stork tensed visibly, preparing himself for not the ending slice that would sever his head from his neck, but something else entirely. "You're worthless, spineless...you don't even deserve to live. You should be thankful to have me end your miserable life." And for just a moment, Stork's face went blank. He was taken back to the memories of his childhood where he was told the same words, beaten the same way. How little he had been back then, and being so defenseless. The subdued little flame once more burst forth into a firey inferno, and as everything swam back into focus, he grabbed a hold of Repton's arm. The Raptor, taken aback at such an action that was out of character for the usually cowardly Merb, blinked and looked down, just enough time for Stork to twist that arm and remove it of its weapon. Stork was an entirely different person now, but when one's been driven so far and pushed too hard, they tend to go a little...crazy. A sharp blow sent Repton sprawling out of his throne room and onto the small bridge that overlooked the swirling clouds under them. Stork stepped out without so much as a flinch at being exposed to the bright sunlight again, completely emotionless and pitiless for anyone or anything now. His glare could only be described as venemous, like a poisonous snake about to strike. Whether he had known it or not at the time, he was to be the last one standing in the end, as Repton would cease to exist any longer as he plummeted to his death.

_You'd be surprised...what someone so worthless, spineless and undeserving of life can do..._


End file.
